Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-03-28
POlly's Religion.

had ever seen her. They knew she
was one of the Austruthers of Ken
lucky.
ssThere are Austruthers in the
United Presbyterian church, said
Grace, ''I hope Mary belongs to our
membership"
ooh, yes, certainly" said Joe, ca
gerly. He was just starting to be
married and he was very anxious that
they should all love Polly in advance.
"Does she sing in the choir?' ask
ed Isabella.
81 think not. But she has one of
the sweetest voices-a low contraltO.
And you ought to hear her laugh,
Belle. The merriest ring-oh, she'll
bring new life into this house.
The girls smiled They were fond
of Joe, and ready to welcome his
wife.
"But hope she is ready to take a
leading place in the church, said
Grace, after he had gone. ''JOe will
some day fill his fathers place, and
his description of her does not give
me the idea of an energetic religious
woman"
''We'll hope for the BEST" said Is
abella. She was very busy making
an imitation stained glass window for
the Sunday school room and was anN-
ious to fl ish it before Mary arrived.
''Uncle Ben must be kept in his
own room when she comes, and Tom
can be sent to the country for a
months visit" Grace said, her deli
cate cheek flushing painfully.
For there were two skeletons in
the Demming household. The squire's
brother Ben, who was a paralytic old
soldier, and a most cross-grained,
profane old fellow, occupied one
wing of the mansion. He had a man
to nurse ard read to him, for his
oaths were intolerable to his nieces.
Tom was their brother, younger than
Joe. Tom Demming had disappear
| ed for three years after he left col
! lege, and came back a haggard, dis
! sipated loafer.
Nobody in Balls Ferry knew what
he had done in that gap of time, but
were certain that he was under the
ban-a marked man. The family
treated him with gloomy patience.
They had taken up their cross and
bore it; but it was heavy, and he
knew they found it heavy. Tom was
never seen by visitors at the table or
in the parlor. At dusk he would
skulk out to see some of his comrades |
at the village grog shops, and occa-
sionally, but not often, was brought |
home brutally intoxicated.
Joe's wife disappointed them all.
She was a plump, merry little girl,
nothing more. ga very pleasant lit
tie heathen!'' sighed Grace, after
two days had passed.
81 named some of the best books |
on religious fiction, but she never |
heard of them; and she did not know
of a single one of our foreign mis-
sions."
Good Mrs. Demming was uneasy
at this, and that very evening turned |
the conversation on doctrinal sub
jects. Polly grew red.
81 am afraid,'' she said, 81 am
not clear in my ideas concerning these
difficult points. The truth is, after
mothers death / had the charge of |
my four brothers, and had so little |
! time"
"You will have time now," said Is !
abella. 81 will mark out a course of |
doctrinal reading for you
But Mary made slow progress with !
her course of reading. AS time pass |
ed and she settled down into her
|
| be very busy little woman. She |
had positive talent for finding work !;
| took her part at the family mending,
tossed up dainty little desserts, help
| ed Joe with his accounts. When Joe |
| had gone to his office she took tre- |
mendous walks, advised mother Dem |
ming about her fancy work, or copied |
the squire's papers for him.
''What clerky hand you write"
said Grace, one day. 81 often wish |
mine were not so delicate when father |
worries over those papers. But as
for mothers embroidery, women of |
her age ought to give up that useless
work when their eyes are falling"
''It does not seem useless to me-
said Polly, gently. "She thinks you
all value it.
"Where can Mary go on those in
terminable walks!' said Isabella to
her father one morning. 'SYou should
warn her about Black Lane. She
might wander into it and bring home
typhoid fever"
s'You ought to report that lane as
a nuisance, father" said his wife.
sit is a perpetual sink of filth and
vice.
1t is disgrace to Balls Ferry that
such wretches can find harbor in it,
added Isabella. They ought to be
driven beyond the borough limits y
"Well, well, my dear! 1t doesn't
do to be too energetic said the
squire.
''They never had a chance"